Rotary engine.



No. 897 519. PATBNTED SEPT.

L. BONNER. 1 190B ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1905. BENEWED 15125; 1908.

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LEVI BONNER, OF AMES, COLORADO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application led September 20, 1905, Serial No. 279,257. Renewed January 25, 1908. Serial No. 412,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI BONNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ames, in the county of San Miguel and State .of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the ollowing is a specification.

My invention has relation to rotary engines of that ty e wherein a cylinder is rotated through t e eX ansive force of steam or other expanding uid or va or, and articulaily to an en ine lwherein t e ex an ing va or is admitte between a rotatab e blade an a relatively fixed portion, or between two blades to rotate them in opposite directions. y

The object of my invention is to provide a rota engine of greater power than those now nown,-of a simpler construction and of such form that it shall be particularly adapted to electrical work or to marine propulsion.

' To this end it consists in the general construction and arrangement of parts and the combinations of elements described hereinafter, and more specifically set forth in the claims ap ended.

I have lustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the engine. Fig. 2 is'a lon itudinal section on the line :rz-z Fig. 3. 3 is a diametric Section of the cylinder on the line y-g/ Fi 2 lookin towards the head of the larger cy inder. ig. 4 isa diametric section on the line w-w Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a diametric section on line -z-z Fig. 2.

Throughout the several views like numerals designate like parts.

The main feature of my engine is com- Erise'd in an inner and outer cylinder, num-4 ered 2 and 3 res ectively, one rotating about the other, eac of the cylinders being provided with resilient bladelike valves, which co-act with each other and against the w' l be later described.

.The cylinder 2 has a smooth, unbroken interior surface and'while it may be of any suit.- able construction I believe it best to make it as I have shown clearly in Fig. 1 namely, one end and the drum in one art, to which the other end, formin a hea 2', is removably bolted. The hea 2 of the cylinder has at4 'port 2.

der 2`carr`ies also a central hollow shaft 4' which is adapted to rotate in a steam chest and be supported at its end in journal bearings 4 on standards 4. This hollow shaft forms a bearing for the shaft 3 of the inner cylinder. The cylinder 3 and its shafts 3 3 may be rotary or stationary as will be later described. I have shown these shafts as continuous but they may be made separate.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3, 5 and 6 are wing valves and propelling blades resiliently set on the inner and outer cylinders and adapted, by reason of their resiliency, to pass each other when they meet and during the remainder of the revolution to press upon the face of the opposite cylinder. Thus the blade 5 attached to the interior of the outer c linder elastically presses inward against t e circumference of the inner cylinder, while the blade 6 attached to the inner cylinder presses out against the outer cylinder, the contact being so close and firm that no steam or 'vapor can pass between the edge of the blades and the cylinder wall.

While any form of resiliently mounted blade is within my invention, I preferabl mount the blades in s ring clips 5 6 which are attached to the aces of the. cylinders.

These clips extend longitudinally the whole of the cylindery length and are bent over so as to form a longitudinal fold, within which the folded inner edge of the blade is held. By this construction the blades may be slipped into place from one end of the cylinder through a hand hold 2 therelocated for that purpose, thus allowing the adjustment of the blades, or their replacing when worn out.

It is to be noted that the blades 5 and 6 are inclined in the same direction to each other a direction backward from the direction of rotation of the respective lcylinders and that thus when two o posite blades meet they mutually give or sllide over each other with a wedging action until they pass, when each one sprin s toward the face of the opposite cylinder an into the position shown in ig. 3. i It is to be ke t in mind that While I show in Fig. 3 a double rotary engine with two revolvin cylinders, an inner and outer, the inner cy inder may be stationary and the blade act as a fixed face against which the steam pushes. The principle of operation is the same in either of these cases.

In order that steam or other expanding vapor shall turn one cylinder in relation to` the other, it is necessary immediately after their blades have met and passed each other, that the steam orvapor be admitted to the space between them, which being done, the two blades will be forced apart. To this end I provide a vapor inlet or inhaust ort 7 which opens into the space between t e two cylinders, and at its other end communicates with a suitable source of steam or vapor supply, the inlet port being provided with some means for cutting off the supply of vapor at a predetermined point. Preferably, the inaust opening 7 forms the termination of a passage 7 formed in the end of the cylinder 2 which passage extends towards the center of the cylinder end and then asses at right angles along through the wal of shaft 4 a suitable distance when it passes out to the circumference of the shaft at 7 where it alines with the inlet openings of the steam chest 11. 9 designates an exhaust outlet which forms the extremityof a radial passage 9. Which extends inward to a point near the central shaft 3 and inside the ring 8 where it turns parallel to said shaft and opens into a semicircular roove 9 formed on the outer face of the cy inder head 3'. ters with the opening of a passage 10 which leads along shaft 4 to a point beyond the plane of the vapor inlet openings of the steam chest. At this point it turns outwardly and This groove regishas an opening 10 on the outside of the shaft, in the same manner as before described forthe inhaust passage. It will be thus seen that as regards the shaft 4, the inlet and outlet passages are diametrically opposite to each other, though by reason of t e passage 9 taking off at the extremity of the semi-circular groove 9, the exhaust outlet o ening in the cylinder is located directl behmd the blade on the inner cylinder. here is another object in having thls groove semicircular. If the passage 9 merely opened directly to the outer face of head 3 it would only aline with the passa e 10 at one point in its revolution and then ut for an mstant. By carrying the groove in the arc of a circle around the center of rotation, the passage 9 will be in connection with passage 10 during a period of revolution depending upon the length of the groove.

1 1 designates a steam chest of any suitable construction through which the shaft 4 passes and in which it rotates. In vertical alinement with the inhaust inlet port of the shaft 4 are entrance passages 12 13 which are connected by pipes 12 13 to any suitable source of vapor supply as to` a steam boiler as shown in Fig. 4. haust outlet port are exit passages 14 15 which are connected to suitable leading off pipes 14 15 as shown in Fig. 5. Preferably use a common steam ipe 12 for both steam inlets, connecting t 1c lower steam inlet pipe 13 to the pipe 12 by a by-pass pipe 13, having therein the cut off valve 13. The main steam pipe 12 has in it a cut off valve 12. By closing the valve 12 the steam is entirely cut off from the engine, and by closing valve 13 steam is cut off from the low inlet. This is done when theengine is working singly and the inner shaft 3 and its cylinder is fixed from turning. A similar arrangement of pipes 14, 15, 15 with cut off valves is used for the exhaust connections.

So far as I have described the mechanism In vertical alinement with the ex` of my engine the vapor would enter the cylinders at one or two points and be immediately cut off and the exhaust ports would be likewise opened and immediately closed by the passage of the ports pasteach other. In order to provide for the admission of vapor to the cylinder during a predetermined arc of rotation, I extend the entrance passages 12 or 13 in the form of a groove circumferentially around the interior of the steam chest.

While these grooves are shown as extended around the steam chest I wish it understood that they might be transposed and formed in the shaft 4 except that if they length they would weaken the same too much. There 'would be, however, no variation of principle or cha-nge in the operation. For the same reason, that is in order that the exhaust may continue through a certain length of time, I extend the exhaust passage 14 as grooves around the inner circumference of the steam chest. It will thus be seen that during that portion of a rotation during which one of the inhaust passage grooves has any portion of it opposite to a shaft port, vapor will be taken'into the cylinder, and that when the end of the shaft. port passes the entrance groove the shaft port will be closed and the vapor will be cut off, and that the same thing occurs as regards the exhaust. Thus by regulating the length of the inha'ust and exhaust groove in the steam chest any length of va or intake or outlet may be provided for. rThe cylinder may take steam for the whole of its rotation, for two thirds, one half or any fraction thereof, and the exhaust be opened for any predetermined part of the rotation, in the same manner.

When the engine is worked double, both cylinders rotating, it is necessary that the cylinders should take steam twice during each revolution, on'ce after each passing of' the blades. In that case the position of the exhaust and inhaust orts are as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the in ets and outlets being diametrically opposite each other. In Fig. 4 I have shown these inhaust grooves of a were of any .t and 4 so that they shall that the shafts 3 length sufiicient to provide forr the entrance l merely show the of steam during one third of a stroke,-or the arc of rotation passed over by the wings before they meet,assuming that the engine is running double: If the engine is run single, that is with only the outer cylinder in rotation, the inhaust should be lengthened as shown in dotted lines to give an entrance of steam during one third of a revolution, thus allowing the steam to be used expansively over two thirds of the cylinder space. The exhaust grooves I have also shown as being one third the length of the stroke, and on the left hand side of Fig. 5 I have shown in dotted lines the exhaust groove as extendedv to one third the entire circulnference.

In the arrangement shown in the drawings the cylinder will receive steam for one sixth of its rotation, will hold the steam for two sixths and will exhaust during the next sixth. Immediately after passing at the lowest part of the cylinder the blades again receive steam between them for a sixth of a revolution, holding it for a sixth and again exhausting. In this connection it may be well to point out what is easily lost sight of, that the mlet port 7 and the exhaust port 9, is located each behind a blade and that'they turn each with its cylinder. The position of the blades, inhaust opening and exhaust opening, at the lowest polnts of the revolution, after the blades have 1 passed each other and are taking steam between them, is precisely the position shown in Fig. 3, only reversed.

When two oppositely rotating cylinders are used it becomes necessary to so gear the two shafts that power may be taken from them both. This may be done in a number of ways which will readily suggest'themselves to the practical mechanic; but as one means of accomplishing this I use the combination of bevel gears shown in Fig. 2. The end of the outer shaft 4 is extended beyond the bearing and carries a bevel gear 16 which, of course, is loose on the shaft 3". The shaft 3 asses through the bevel gear 16 splined thereon. These two bevel gears mesh on o posite sides with an intermediate loose bevei)gear 17 which forms the end of a sleeve 17. This sleeve and bevel gear surround a central fixed shaft 18 about which it rotates. The lower end of the sleeve 17 is cut to form a cam face which engages with a rotatable cam 18 su ported on a standard 18". The loose beve gear 17 is merely for the purpose of intermeshing the shafts 3 run together. When the' engine is running singly, that is with only the outer cylinder revolving, it is necessary and 4 be disengaged. In that case the cam 18 is turned to lower the gear 17 away from intermeshing with gears 16 16. It is to be understood that I may use any of the well known methods and mechanisms for accomplishing this result and particular construction described because of simplicity. There are manyways by which th1s result may be accomplished which will be a parent to any mechanic. It will be seen that this combination takes power from both shafts, thus keeping the cylinders running evenly together. When the engine is running singly it is necessary that the inner cylinder should be held stationary with its blade up. In order to provide for this I provide a clutch mechanism ca able of engaging with the shaft 3 to hol it and the cylinder 3 stationary. I have shown such a clutch mechanism in Fig. 2 wherein 19 is a clutch lever suitably teeth 19 which will engage with recesses 16 in bevel gear 16. In the p osition shown in Fig. 2, the clutch lever an its teeth are out of engagement with gear 16 when the lower end of the lever is moved inward against said gear the teeth will engage with the recesses to hold the shaft 3 in one position. There are many forms of clutch which could be used for this purpose and I do not wish to limit myself to the construction just described. It is only necessary that some means be provided whereby the shaft 3 shall be held 1tpositively from turning when the engine is to e run singly.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the gear 17 and the clutch 19 both out of engagement at the same time. Ifshow it in this manner for clearness of illustration but it is tobe understood that the clutch could be thrown into engagement with gear 16 when the loose gear 17 is moved out of engagement.

mounted and having projections or reslpectively on shaft 3 and on the hollow hu 20 which projects from and forms part of the head 2 of cylinder 2. When the engine is running double the central shaft and its surrounding hub move, of course-7 in opposite directions. Power may be taken from either of the pulleys 21 or 21 and by shifting the belt from' one to the other the ower may be reversed without reversing t e englne. f

In order to run the joint between the cylinder ends vapor-tight, I provide an antifriction packing ring or rings 22 at each end of the inner cylinder which iit in corresponding grooves in the adjacent walls of the cylinder ends, thus allowing the end walls of the cylinders to be separated slightly and decrease the friction. I also provide a acking ring 23 between the inhaust and ex aust valvegrooves of the steam chest to revent the steam or other vapor escaping om the inhaust groove to the exhaust.

While I have shown for clearness only the main and requisite elements of the engine, in practice, of course, it will be provided with proper stuffing boxes, lubrication inlets, cutoff valves, etc. and

the shafts with transmission gears. These being well known and thoroughly understood by all conversant with engines it need not be specifically described.

While I have described my engine as using steam as the expanding vapor whereby it is to be driven, yet I may use any other elastic fluid as hot air, or use the expanding force of exploding vapor, as that of gasolene, equally well, and I wish it understood that this is within my invention. The rotary form of engine would be particularly well adapted to making the proper sparking connections in its use as an explosive engine. The exact form and. arrangement of parts, however, whereby this rotary engine is adapted to be used as an explosive engine, I design to form the subject of a later application.

It is to be noted that in order to run the double oppositely rotating cylinders as a sin gle engine, all that is necessary to do is to close the lower steam port and the upper exhaust port, disconnect the bevel gearing on the end of the shaft 3 from contact with the intermediate bevel gearing which normally engages with said bevel gear, and by the clutch 20'21 hold the inner cylinder from movement.

It is obvious, of course, that the exhaust and inhaust passages and connections might be at opposite ends of the outer cylinder without departing from my invention. I

have in the claims called for the cylinders as rotative relative to each other. This phrase is intended to include within it a positively fixed cylinder and a rotative one, as well as the two oppositely rotating cylinders.

i' Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. A rotary engine having outer and inner cylinders, one of which has amovement of` rotation relative to the other, a resilient blade attachedl to one of said cylinders whose edge bears on the circumferential surface of .the other cylinder, and iluid pressure inlets and outlets opening into the space between the said cylinders, said blade being rearwardly inclined and the faces thereof against which the pressure acts being inclined to the face of the cylinder afainst which it contacts, substantially as escribed.

2. A rotary engine havingan interior and exterior cylinder one of which'has a movement of rotation relatively to the other a resilient, rearwardly inclined blade mounted on the interior face of the outer cylinder and normally bearing against the face of the inner cylinder, a resilient, rearwardly inclined blade mounted on the inner cylinder and nor .mally bearing against the inner face of the outer cylinder the faces of both of said blades ,against which the pressure acts being inclined .to the face ofthe cylinder against which it contacts, means whereby the said blades shall pass each other when they meet,

and fluid pressure inlets and outlets opening into the space between said cylinders, substantially as described.

3. A rotary engine having inner and outer cylinders one of which has a movement of rotation relatively to the other, a blade resiliently mounted on the inner face of the outer cylinder, inclined reversely to the direction of rotation and normally bearing against the outer face ofthe inner cylinder, a corresponding blade mounted resiliently on the inner cylinder and inclined rearwardly to the direction of rotation of said cylinder and normally bearing against the inner face of the outer cylinder thefaces of both of said blades against which the pressure acts being inclined to the face of the cylinder against which each blade contacts, and iiuid pressure inlets and outlets opening into the space between said cylinders, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine the. combination with an interior and exterior cylinder, having ports for the admission of iiuid pressure between them, of a blade mounted upon one of the said cylinders and adapted to fill the spacebetween the said cylinders, said blade being mounted upon said cylinder by means of a spring clip whereby it may be removed or replaced, substantially as described.

5. .In a rotary engine the combination with an interior and exterior cylinder, having ports for the admission of iuid pressure between them, of a blade mounted upon one of the said cylinders and adapted to fill the space between the said cylinders, said blade being mounted upon said cylinder by enga ement with a longitudinal clip extending t e length of said cylinder, whereby the blade may be removed or replaced, substantially as described.

6. A rotary engine having an inner and an outer cylinder mounted to have opposite rotation each relative to the other; a blade vmounted on one cylinder and bearing against the other; a hollow shaft leading from one end of said outer cylinder and forming the axis of rotation therefor 3 an inner shaft on which the inner cylinder is mounted, passing through the hollow outer shaft 5 a fluid pressureinlet port in said outer shaft; a passage leading from said port lto the annular space between the said .cylinders and opening behind one of said blades; an exhaust port in said shaft; a passage leading to the space between the outer and inner cylinders and opening in front of the other of said blades; and means for admitting the liuid to said inlet port, substantially as described.

7. A rotary engine having an inner and outer cylinder mounted lto have opposite rotations relative fto each other, blades mounted on each cylinder eachbearing normally against the opposite cylinderv and adapted -to pass each other, a hollow shaft lleading from lio one end of said outer cylinder and forming the axis of rotation therefor; an inner shaft on which the inner cylinder is mounted, passing through the ho low outer shaft, a fluid pressure or inlet port in said outer shaft, a passa e leading from said port to the annular space etween the said c inders, an exhaust ort in said shaft, a passage leading thererom to the cylinder head, said head having a passage whose port registers with said exhaust shaft passage, the passage in said head opening on the outside of said inner cylinders, and an inlet port behind one of said blades, substantially as described.

8. A rotary engine having inner and outer cylinders rotatably mounted relatively to `eachfother, a blade attached to one of said cylinders whose edge bears on the adjacent face of the other cylinder, an axial tubular shaft on which the outer cylinder is mounted, a shaft for the inner cylinder extending through the said tubular shaft concentric thereto, inlet and outlet orts in the said outer shaft, passages lea ing therefrom to the space between the inner and outer cylinders, and gearing between the two shafts whereby their relatively opposite motion may be transformed in the rota motion in one direction mechanism where y the connection between the two shafts may be broken, and means for holding the inner cylinder and its shaft from rotation, substantially as described. v

, 9. A rotary engine having an exterior cylinder and an interior cylinder entirely closed mounted to rotate in opposite directions relatively to each other, a resilient blade on the outer c linder adapted to fill the space between t e said cylinders and contacting with the inner cylinder, a resilient blade on the inner c linder filling the space between the said c inders and contacting with the outer cylin er, means whereby the said blades s all pass each other at their meeting points, the outer cylinder being provided with an inlet ort in its end whereby fluid ressure may e introduced between the sai blades immediately after their passage, and one of said cylinders being provided with a continuously open exhaust port substantially as described.

10. A rotary engine having interior and exterior cylinders mounted to rotate in opposite directions relatively to each other, a resilient, rearwardl extending blade on the outer cylinder t e faces whereof against which the pressure acts being inclined to the face of the cylinder against which the blade contacts adapted to fill the space between the said cylinders and contactin with the inner cylinder, aresi1ient,rearwar l extending-blade on the inner cylinder ling the space between the said cylinders and contacting with the outer cylinder the face of said blade against which the pressure acts being inclined to the faceof the cylinder against which it contacts, means whereby liuid pressure may be introduced between the said blades immediately after their passage, means whereby the said fluid pressure may be cut off at any predetermined period of cylinder rotation, and means whereby the fluid may be relieved at any predetermined point in the cylinder rotation, substantially as described.

11. A rotary engine having interior and exterior cylinders mounted to rotate in opposite directions relatively to each other, a blade on the outer cylinder adapted to ill the space between the said cylinders and contacting with the inner cylinder, a blade on the inner cylinder filling the space between the said cylinders and contacting with the outer cylinder, means whereby the said blades shall pass each other at their meeting points, a port in the end of the outer cylinder adapted to allow the inlet of fluid into said s ace between said cylinders and behind said b ades immediately after the blades have assed each other and the ort, means for eeping said port open during a predetermined part of the cylinder rotation, an exhaust port located in the inner cylinder and opening in front of the blade attached thereto, and means for keepin the said exhaust port open durin@r a part o the cylinder rotation, substantially as described.

12. A rotary engine, having inner and outer cylinders rotatably mounted relatively to each other, elastically held driving blades on each cylinder adapted normally to roect across the space between the two cy in ers and to contact with the opposite cylinder face and to resiliently yield when assing each other, a tubular shaft on which the outer cylinder is mounted, a central shaft within said tubular shaft on which the inner cylinder is mounted, a fluid pressure inlet passa e in the outer shaft opening at one end 1nto t e space between the outer and inner cylinders and behind the outer cylinder blade, and at its other end o ening to the outer face of said shaft, a va ve chest surrounding said shaft and having a circumferential groove extending therearound in the arc of a circle, a connection between said groove and a source of steam s u ply, and an exhaust passage leading from the space between the cylinders adapted to open at a predetermined point in the cylinder rotation for the discharge of the exhausted vapor, substantially as described.

13. A rotary engine, having inner and outer cylinders rotatably mounted relatively to each other, elastically held driving blades on each cylinder adapted normally to pro- 'ect across the space between the two cyllnders and to contact with the opposite cylinder face and to resiliently yield when assing each other, a tubular shaft on whic the outer cylinder is mounted, a central shaft within said tubular shaft on which the inner cylinder is mounted, a fluid ressure inlet passage in the outer shaft opening at one end into the space between the outer and inner cylinder behind the outer cylinder blade, and at its other end opening to the outer face of said shaft, a steam chest surrounding said shaft and having a circumferential groove extending therearound in the arc of a circle, a connection between said groove and a source of steam supply, an exhaust passage in the outer shaft opening at one end into the s ace between the two cylinders and leading a ong said shaft and o ening to the outside thereof at a point out of) vertical alinement with the steam chest o ening of the inlet passage, and a groove in tiie said steam chest in vertical alinement with said exhaust port opening, said groove being extended circumferentially around said shaft in the arc of a circle, substantially as described.

14. In a rotary engine, an exterior revolving cylinder, an interior cylinder within the outer cylinder, driving blades in the cylinders filling the s ace between the two cylinders and adapte to pass each other, means for introducing an expansible fluid between the blades to rotate the cylinders in op osite directions, a tubular shaft extending rom said outer cylinder, and forming the axis thereof, a central shaft extending from the inner cylinder and carried within the tubular shaft and rojecting beyond the same, a bevel gear on tfie endof the outer shaft, an oppositely faced bevel gear on the end of the inner shaft, and a bevel gear meshing with both of said first named gears andtaking rotation there-.

from, and a means for reversing the motion transmitted from said intermediate bevel, a clutch for throwing said gears out of en agement with'each other and means for holding the central shaft and its cylinder from movement, substantially as described.

15. A rotary engine having the inner and outer cylinder mounted to have opposite rotation relative to each other, resilient blades mounted on both cylinders and bearing against the other, the fluid pressure or inlet port leading into one of said cylinders and opening behind the blade of that cylinder, an exhaust port in the other of said cylinders opening in front of the blade attached to said cylinders and connections between said inlet port and a source of fluid ressure.

16. In a rotary engine aving two cylinders mounted to have opposite rotation relative to each other, a resilient blade carried 'by one of said cylinders and bearing against the other, said blade being reversely inclined to the direction of movement of the cylinder to which it is attached, the face of said blade against which the pressure acts being inclined to the face of the cylinder against which it contacts.

17. In a rotary engine an exterior cylinder,

and an interior cylinder, one of which is free to revolve relatively to the other, driving blades on the two cylinders filling the intermediate sv )ace and adapted to pass each other, afluid inlet passage in the head of the outer cylinder opening into the cylinder-space behind the blade carried by said outer cylinder, and a iiuid outlet passage in the inner cylinder opening into the cylinder-space before the blade carried by said interior cylinder, substantially as described.

18. In a rotary engine, an exterior rotatable cylinder mounted on a hollow shaft rotatable therewith, an interior cylinder mounted on a shaft carried within the hollow shaft, heads for said cylinders having contacting end faces, driving blades on the two cylinders filling the intermediate space and adapted to pass each other, a fluid lnlet passage in the head of the outer cylinder opening at one end into the annular space between the cylinders and behind the blade carried by the outer cylinder extending along said shaft and opening into a steam inlet chamber, an exhaust passage in the head of the inner cylinder having an opening at one end into the space between the cylinders, and at the other end opening into a groove in the face of the inner cylinder-head concentric to the axis of rotation of the two cylinders, and an exhaust passage along the outer shaft, one end of which is in concentric alinement with said groove and the other end of which opens in the exhaust chamber, substantially as described.

19. In a rotary engine an exterior rotatable cylinder, mounted on a hollow shaft rotatable therewith, an interior cylinder mounted on a shaft carried within the hollow shaft, heads for said cylinders having contacting end faces, driving blades on the two cylinders filling the intermediate space and in t e head of the outer cylinder opening at one end into the annular space between the cylinders behind the blade carried by the outer cylinder extending along said shaft and opening into the steam inlet chamber extending circumferentially partly around said shaft, an exhaust passage in the head of the inner cylinder having an opening at one end into the space between the cylinders and at the other end opening into a groove in the face of the inner cylinder head concentric to the axis of rotation of the two cylinders, and an exhaust passage along the outer shaft one end of which is in concentric alinement with the said groove and the other end of which o )ens into an exhaust chamber in the steam chest, said chamber forming a partly circumferential roove around said shaft, substantially as escribed.

20. In a rotary engine, an exterior rotating cylinder and an interior rotating cylinder, whose heads contact at their end faces,

semi-circular outlet grooves diametrically opposite to each other in the same plane, said grooves partly surrounding said shaft, an inlet passage in the head of the outer cylinder openin at one end into the annular space between t e cylinders behind the driving blades of the outer cylinder extending along said shaft, an opening on the surface of the shaft in plane with the inlet grooves of the va or chest, an exhaust passage in the head o the inner cylinder havmg an opening at one end into the space between the cylinders before the driving blade of the inner cylinder and at the other end opening into a groove in the face of the inner cylinder head concentric to the axis of rotation of the two cylinders, an exhaust passage along the shaft of the outer cylinder'one end of which is in concentric alinement with the said groove and the other end of which openson the outer face of the shaft in alinement with the said circumferential outlet grooves, .a

,main inlet vapor pipe having branches leadthe admission of vapor to either or both of the grooves and a main vapor exhaust pipe having branches leadin from the two outlet grooves and having va ves therein whereby either of the branches may be cut off from the main outlet pipe, substantially as de- 4scribed.

21'. In a rotary engine, an inner and an outer cylinder mounted to have o posite rotations, oppositely projecting bla es on said cylinders contactlng with the opposite cylinder, means whereby pressure may be admitted between the said cylinders and between the blades to act against the same, means for allowing the exhausted pressure to pass out of said cylinders, mechanism for translating the opposite rotary motions of the two cylinders into motion in one direction, mechanism for disconnecting one of said cylinders from the other andv means whereby one of said cylinders may be held from movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my- LEVI BONER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. BARRIOK, FRANK I?. MoGENsoN. 

